Wasim Akram, Dilip Vengsarkar in favor of a local coach for the Indian cricket team

Wasim Akram, Dilip Vengsarkar in favor of a local coach for the Indian cricket team: Domestic or Foreign is the biggest question in front of the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI), while it brain storms to pick a new coach for the Indian cricket team. The BCCI though has made a sensible move with appointing Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar to pick a coach for the team, two from the three Ganguly and Rahul themselves being in the race for the top post. Former Pakistan captain and fast bowling legend Wasim Akram and former Indian skipper Dilip Vengsarkar while speaking at an interactive event at the Delhi Public School in Kolkata said that the team should get a local coach.

Since the tenure of the former Indian coach Duncan Fletcher ended with the World Cup 2015, it is highly unlikely that the Board would give him an extended stay as the team failed to defend their Champions status in the World Cup losing to hosts Australia in the semi-finals, who eventually went on to lift their 5^th title.

Akram the KKR bowling coach said, “Today a team doesn’t need to be coached like kids, rather you need a person who can man-manage. A foreign coach often goes on holiday when there is a domestic tournament and there are no international commitments.” “For me, you need a coach who knows the domestic players and can pronounce their names. I think a local coach is the answer for India,”

Vengsarkar too thinks in the same line with Wasim Akram as he said, “I feel Duncan Fletcher should not continue. A foreign coach is not aware what’s happening in the domestic circuit or the Under-19 cricket or about India A players,” he said. “You have to have a coach who is interested in Indian cricket. A guy who can spot and groom young talent, which I don’t think foreign coaches are interested in doing. There was a foreign coach who stayed at a Mumbai hotel but did not even visit the Ranji final being played between Mumbai and Bengal at the Wankhede Stadium once, which was just a kilometre away from the hotel,”

Since Vengsarkar popped his name in for discussion calling him the right choice, Akram said it was difficult for him to coach a national team. “For me, coaching a national team will be tough considering my commentary commitments, my job with Kolkata Knight Riders and of course my family. It will be tough for me because Indian team travels all year round. At the tender age of 49, I don’t think I can stay away from my family,” said Akram.

At the same time he said being a former cricketer and having experienced the game for decades it was his duty rather to pass on the knowledge he has possessed about the game to upcoming youngsters and he was willing to do that, “People often ask me why being a Pakistani I coach youngsters from India. For me, be it Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani or Sri Lankan kids, whoever comes to me, it’s my duty to teach them whatever I can,” said Akram.